A painful incident shakes India: Dispute over an iPhone ends with the death of an entire family
A family dispute over an iPhone turned into a tragedy that shook India, after a young man, his parents, and his mother died following a fall from a cliff, hours after attempts to persuade the young man to move away from the edge. The horrific scene was captured in video clips, turning the Indian family’s attempt to save their son into a disaster that sparked widespread reaction and debate in India.
Kunal Chaudhwar, 18, and his parents, Morleedhar and Sangeeta, lost their lives after falling from the top of Khavdia Dongar mountain near the village of Tisgaon. The fall occurred after hours of rescue efforts involving family members, local residents, police officers, and firefighters. The young man had reached the top of the cliff and positioned himself near the dangerous edge. His parents rushed to the scene upon learning of the incident, joined by villagers, police, and firefighters in an attempt to persuade him to move away from the edge.
Efforts to convince the young man to return to a safe area lasted nearly three hours, but he continued moving along the steep edge, threatening to jump. This prompted fire crews to deploy safety nets below the cliff as a precaution against a fall. Local sources stated that the young man was angry and upset after his parents refused to buy him an iPhone. During the containment efforts, his mother kept talking to him, urging him to return, while villagers joined in trying to persuade him to change his mind.
Sanjay Jadhav, the village council head and one of those present at the scene, said they tried to influence the young man by reminding him of his mother. One attendee even offered him an iPhone in an attempt to keep him distracted and convince him to back down. However, the young man appeared determined to jump, saying, “There is no solution now; there is only one solution.”
As the tense standoff continued, the young man’s father cautiously approached him in an attempt to grab him and pull him away from the edge. But at the moment the father got close, Kunal suddenly jumped, causing both to fall. His mother, Sangeeta, witnessed her husband and son falling from the cliff. Overcome with shock, she jumped after them, resulting in her death.
Police announced the recovery of the three family members’ bodies from the rugged area and their transfer for autopsy, while investigations have begun to determine the precise sequence of events and the circumstances leading up to the tragedy. Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar said, “We are trying to determine the exact sequence of events,” noting that police are continuing to listen to witness statements and examine the circumstances of the incident, which began as an attempt to rescue a teenager and ended with the deaths of the three family members.
